Phillip: Ice Sports, Memorials and Architecture

Phillip combines leisure activities with a distinctive architectural and commemorative history. Ice skating and seasonal swimming are part of the area’s character, as is the 14-hectare Eddison Park. The Callam Offices, meanwhile, combine an unusual design with a sombre chapter in Woden’s history. This gives you different ways to connect with the area during your trip—from shared leisure activities to a closer look at the built environment.

Leisure among ice, water and games

The Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre offers an ice-skating facility with a 1,500-square-metre ice rink and a capacity of up to 250 skaters per session. The pools cater for lap swimming, recreational swimming and families; swimming is seasonal. Ice skating and swimming thus offer two different ways to spend your visit—with the swimming season to keep in mind.

Arcadia at the Hellenic Club Woden in Phillip is a family-friendly arcade. It features video games, interactive prize games and ticket redemption games. At the same Hellenic Club, Kivotos offers a Greek dining experience. Together, these attractions represent a different side of the area from its memorials and architectural heritage: leisure and Greek cuisine offer their own reasons to include Phillip in your travel plans.

Eddison Park: recreation and remembrance

On the eastern edge of Woden Town Centre lies the 14-hectare Eddison Park, a multi-purpose recreational area in Phillip. Its size and use as a recreational area give it a different character from the buildings that attract attention in other parts of Phillip’s history. Eddison Park is also a place of remembrance: two memorials commemorate the loss of the Eddison family’s three sons during the Second World War.

The park’s annual Anzac Day commemorations are also part of its history. They began in 1992 and continue to attract hundreds of schoolchildren. The park brings together recreation and public remembrance without reducing these to a single visitor experience. This means Eddison Park may interest you both as a recreational area and for its memorials.

Architecture with a history

The Callam Offices stand out for their structural system: they were the first example in Australia of an office building whose entire perimeter structure is supported by suspension cables. The design incorporated a flood plain. Its historical context is the 1971 Woden flood, which claimed seven lives. The Callam Offices are also one of two large-scale office complexes designed in Canberra by John Andrews International; the other is the Cameron Offices in Belconnen.

Another example of Phillip’s architectural history is Swinger Hill Cluster Housing. Built in 1972, the development is considered a notable example of medium-density housing. Its features include semi-detached and attached homes, low-maintenance gardens, courtyards and communal outdoor spaces. Together, the Callam Offices and Swinger Hill Cluster Housing showcase different aspects of the built environment: an office complex with an unusual structural system, and a residential development with several housing types and shared outdoor spaces.

Woden Cemetery also preserves a piece of design history: its planting and landscaping from the early 1930s remain visible today. With its park, memorials, architecture and historic landscaping, Phillip offers several distinct points of interest for anyone who wants to learn about an area’s character as well as enjoy its leisure activities.

Which holiday accommodation suits your travel plans?

When choosing your holiday accommodation, you can consider which of Phillip’s different sides appeals to you most. Ice sports, seasonal swimming and Arcadia offer a different focus from a visit to Eddison Park or an exploration of the area’s architectural history. This can help you plan the kind of stay you want without reducing Phillip to a single attraction.

A broader look at the Australian Capital Territory

The wider destination of the Australian Capital Territory offers more than the attractions of Phillip. Namadgi National Park protects 106,095 hectares of alpine, subalpine and montane bushland and has several hundred kilometres of walking trails. The 138-kilometre Canberra Centenary Trail is a self-guided route for walkers, runners and cyclists; it also takes in sites and landscapes of significance to the Ngunnawal.

Lake Burley Griffin also offers different ways to explore: the paths around the lake can be enjoyed on foot, by bicycle or by e-scooter. On the water, there are boat trips, picnics and pedal boat outings; it’s worth checking the latest information about boating options. These examples are part of the broader Australian Capital Territory and are distinct from the places in Phillip described here.

Arriving and exploring other destinations

The Woden Bus Interchange is right beside Westfield Woden. From Bradley Street, the nearest entrance to the shopping centre is a short walk away. This information may be helpful when planning your stay, without making any claims about the location of individual holiday accommodations.

Other destinations

Discover other destinations: Belconnen, Franklin, Hall, Macgregor

Back to the main travel overview: Canberra.